About Us

The mission of the Arkansas Grazing Lands Coalition (AGLC) is to provide opportunities for assuring sustainability of all grazing lands, to enhance these lands for future use, and to inform the public of the benefits of making commitment and investment in sound grazing management. AGLC assists in maintaining and improving the management and productivity of privately-owned grasslands in Arkansas by educating landowners and managers on grazing practices that promote environmental, financial, and social stability. AGLC achieves these goals in five ways:

1) pooling the resources of other agencies and organizations with similar goals,
2) hosting annual grazing conferences,
3) providing speakers for university classes and events attended by grazing producers,
4) sponsoring grazing workshops and field days, and
5) developing and distributing grazing education publications and videos.

Grazing lands are a renewable, natural, and sustainable form of agriculture. Proper management is essential for the sustainable production of food and fiber, as well as for supporting a wide diversity of other uses. Well-managed grazing lands develop desirable vegetative cover highly resistant to the erosive forces of water and wind. Grazing lands provide an economic base for many regions of our state. When located in watersheds that provide water for agricultural, domestic, and municipal uses; power production; and fish and wildlife habitat, healthy grazing lands contribute to necessary high water quality and sustained stream flows. These lands are used for outdoor recreation, camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing. Encompassing a large portion of the state’s landscape, they provide essential habitat for many wildlife populations.

AGLC is managed by a Board of Directors composed of producer representatives from four private organizations, two state agencies, one federal agency, and representatives of three livestock industries. AGLC also has technical advisors and cooperators who participate in the planning, prioritizing, and completing of AGLC activities by providing financial and/or in-kind support. A complete list of the agencies and organizations can be found on the member organizations page. The participation of a wide range of forage and agricultural organizations (most of them educational in nature) insures AGLC activities benefit the Arkansas grazing lands community.